Higher symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and younger age were associated with faster visual perception, but not with lower traffic violations

Abstract

Traffic accidents are a significant health issue in Iran, and mostly due to drivers’ failures and health issues. In this view, the association between age, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), objective visual perception and attention (spatial cueing and visual search) and drivers’ driving violations and accidents have not been investigated in Iran so far. To counter this, 183 participants (mean age: 31.65 years; 147 males, 36 females) were assessed. They completed self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographic information, driving violations, traffic accidents, and symptoms of ADHD. Further, participants’ visual search and spatial cueing were objectively tested. Results showed that higher symptoms of ADHD were associated with higher traffic violations and accidents, but also with a faster visual search and spatial cueing. Further, higher aging was associated with lower visual search and spatial cueing speed. Both higher ADHD scores and lower age predicted faster visual search and spatial cueing performance. The pattern of results suggests that among adults, symptoms of ADHD appeared to be both negatively associated with higher traffic violations, but also with faster visual search and spatial cueing performance. By contrast, the opposite was true as regards age. To increase traffic safety, both drivers with older age and with symptoms of ADHD appear to demand special attention.